Understanding ADHD: Terms & Resources

Executive Function

What it means: Executive functions are mental skills that help you plan, organize, remember information, manage your attention, and follow through on tasks. ADHD can make using these skills consistently more difficult.

What it can look like: You know what needs to happen, but struggle to organize the steps, decide what comes first, or remember what you intended to do.

Something to try: Put the steps on paper instead of holding them in your head. Choose one priority and identify the next specific action.

Time Blindness

What it means: Time blindness is an informal term for difficulty noticing time passing, estimating how long something will take, or judging how soon a future event is approaching.

What it can look like: You think getting ready will take ten minutes, but it takes thirty. You start a quick task before leaving and suddenly realize you are running late.

Something to try: Time a familiar activity and compare the result with your estimate. Use that information to plan next time and set a reminder for when you need to begin getting ready, not just when you need to leave.

Hyperfocus

What it means: Hyperfocus describes becoming deeply absorbed in an activity, sometimes to the point that shifting your attention or noticing other needs becomes difficult.

What it can look like: You spend hours researching an interest, working on a project, or playing a game, then realize you missed a meal or another commitment.

Something to try: Before starting, choose a stopping point and set an alarm with a specific message, such as “Save your work and get lunch.” Give yourself a few minutes to transition.

Body Doubling

What it means: Body doubling means doing a task while another person is present, either in person or virtually. Some people find that this presence helps them get started and stay engaged. The other person can work on something entirely different.

What it can look like: Sorting paperwork feels easier when a friend sits nearby, or you make progress on a project while quietly working alongside someone on a video call.

Something to try: Arrange a twenty-minute work session with someone you feel comfortable with. Share what you each plan to do, work quietly, and check in at the end.

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)

What it means: RSD is a term used to describe intense emotional pain in response to actual or perceived rejection, criticism, disapproval, or failure. “Perceived” means you may feel rejected even when the other person’s intention is unclear. The emotional experience can be powerful, even when you recognize that there may be another explanation.

What it can look like: A brief text message feels like someone is angry with you. Feedback brings a sudden wave of shame, or fear of disapproval leads you to avoid asking questions or trying something new.

Something to try: Give yourself time before responding. Ask, “What do I know happened, and what am I assuming it means?” Once the initial intensity settles, consider whether asking for clarification would help.

Procrastination

What it means: For some people with ADHD, a task can feel important without feeling immediate enough to begin. As a deadline gets closer, the consequences become more concrete. That can create anxiety and urgency, making the task harder to ignore and temporarily helping the person mobilize attention and effort. This does not happen consistently, and too much pressure can make starting even harder.

Why a deadline suddenly makes it easier to get started: You may spend days thinking about a task without being able to begin, then suddenly get moving when the deadline is close. The approaching deadline creates urgency: the consequences feel immediate, the task becomes the clear priority, and there is less time to weigh every option.

Anxiety can become part of that push. Worry about being late, disappointing someone, or not finishing may temporarily help you engage with something that previously felt difficult to approach. This can create a pattern of relying on last-minute pressure to get things done. Although that pressure sometimes helps you finish, it can also leave you stressed, rushed, and exhausted. If the anxiety becomes too intense, you may feel overwhelmed or freeze instead.

Something to try: Ask yourself, “What is making this task hard to approach?” If the task feels unclear, define the first step. If it feels overwhelming, shrink the amount you are asking yourself to do.

Task Initiation

What it means: Task initiation is the ability to begin an activity—to move from intending to do something to taking the first action. Some people with ADHD need additional structure or support to make that transition. arxiv.org

What it can look like: You want to do the laundry and know how, but remain on the couch feeling stuck. Even an important or enjoyable task can be difficult to start.

Something to try: Make the first action small and concrete. Instead of “Do the laundry,” try “Put the basket beside the washing machine.” Give yourself permission to begin without committing to finishing everything.

What it can look like: A brief text message feels like someone is angry with you. Feedback brings a sudden wave of shame, or fear of disapproval leads you to avoid asking questions or trying something new.

Something to try: Give yourself time before responding. Ask, “What do I know happened, and what am I assuming it means?” Once the initial intensity settles, consider whether asking for clarification would help.

Books to Learn More About ADHD

• Healing ADD by Daniel G. Amen M.D.

• ADHD 2.0 by Edward Hallowell & John Ratey M.D.

• Introduction to Rejective Sensitive Dysphoria by Ammanuel Santa Anna 

• Understanding Girls with ADHD by Kathleen Nadeau, Ellen Littman, and Patricia Quinn

• ADHD for Smart Ass Women by Tracy Otsuka

• What your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew Sharon Saline & Laura Markham

• How to Thrive with Adult ADHD by James Kustow

• The ADHD Effect on Marriage by Melissa Orlov

• The Couple's Guide to Thriving with ADHD by Melissa Orlov and Nancie Kohlenbeger

• The Disorganized Mind by Nancy Ratey and John Ratey M.D.

• Scattered Minds by Gabor Mate